Hanukkah lamp

1788

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556

Small German silver Hanukkah lamps intended for the private use at home could either be hung on the wall or placed near a window. This type is known as the bench-shape lamp due to its rectangular form, free-standing on four feet, and ornately decorated lid. Manufactured in Berlin and Augsburg beginning in the mid-seventeenth century, this type of Hanukkah lamp became widespread. Although one of the smallest items of Judaica in the collection, the stylistic influences would document the broader Rococo aesthetic which was exceedingly popular in Europe throughout the eighteenth century and its Berlin interpretation under Frederick the Great. Characteristic C- and S-scrolls with blossoming floral arrangements form the overall design composition. While the patron is unknown, it was most likely commissioned for an affluent family in the Berlin Jewish community.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Hanukkah lamp
Maker: August Ferdinand Gentzmer (German, 1758/9–1808)
Date: 1788
Culture: German, Berlin
Medium: Silver, embossed
Dimensions: confirmed: 6 7/16 × 6 5/8 × 3 1/4 in., 8oz. (16.4 × 16.8 × 8.3 cm, 226.822g)
Classifications: Judaica, Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Purchase, Manda and Albert Kalimian Gift, in honor of Sabrina and Daniel Kalimian, 2024
Object Number: 2024.516a, b
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

St. Maurice (?), Pierre François Basan French, Engraving — St. Maurice (?)
Possibly Pierre François Basan
1743–97

Hanukkah lamp, Silver, embossed and engraved, German, Hamburg — Hanukkah lamp
German, Hamburg
late 17th century

Cabinet, Jean Brandely French, Oak veneered with cedar, walnut, ebony and ivory; silvered-bronze mounts, French, Paris — Cabinet
Designer Designed by Jean Brandely
Woodwork by Charles-Guillaume Diehl
Mounts and large central plaque by Emmanuel Frémiet
1867

Old Woman with a Brazier, after Rubens, Pierre François Basan French, Engraving — Old Woman with a Brazier, after Rubens
Pierre François Basan
After Peter Paul Rubens
18th century

Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi Italian, Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome — Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp
Gaspare Vanneschi
1773–75

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.